I DARE you to have courage

Walker adores his friend Miss M.  Miss M is one of the lady's  that is fighting like a girl.

Miss M. is a jeans, sweatshirt and tennis shoes kind of gal.  Naturally pretty.  No need for glitz, the beauty and her bright eyes are there.  Walker adores Miss M.  Adores.

Two weeks ago, straight off the radiation trail, she showed up at the baseball field with a "fancy scarf on her head" to hide her bald head.  While she looked adorable, she didn't look like herself.  But, she looked adorable.  Adorable.

During this time, Walker was attending DARE in fifth grade.  DARE is short for Drug, Alcohol and Resistance Education.  Obviously, it was pretty important in our house.

And he didn't mention it. 

There is an essay that the student writes at the conclusion of the eleven weeks.  This essay is a summary of what the child has learned  from the DARE class and there is room for "personal reference."

Walker would not reveal anything about DARE or the DARE essay.  He keeps his feelings close to his heart.  The "button" is his boy.  His "big bro" and "his best friend."

There is a winner for the DARE essay in each classroom.  While he said he didn't want to win, you knew he did. 

And still, we got nothing. 

Finally, he came home on a Thursday and told us that he "thought" he might have won. 

And of course, we didn't care about the victory.  What I told him was, "I am just proud of you for having the courage to stand up in front of your classmates and tell about your thoughts and feelings and not be uncomfortable.  Courage, that takes courage and we are proud of you for having the courage."

He says, "If Miss M. can show up at the ball field with that silky thing on her head in front of everybody, I can have the courage to read my essay."

I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.  I did both.

Tonight is the DARE graduation.  He reads his essay. 

And his prize for telling about his brother's poor choices is a trip to Summer Camp.

You have got to laugh.  Loudly.

And, you have to know that courage,  shows up in the most unlikely places, silky scarves, policeman, firefighters and little guys who love their brothers.